


Fire’s Linked Universe Oneshots

by Galactic_fire



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: ALTTP spoilers, Adding tags as I go along, Angst, Blood and Injury, Crying, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule is anxiety personified, Ilia/link - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Ravoili, Self Esteem Issues, Sparring, Vidow (I guess??), Who am I kidding it’s mainly hurt/comfort, Wind is an angy boi, hair related shenanigans, hinted at LGBT characters, malink, mild crack, non-graphic injury, pent up emotions, sidzelink, soft bois, the boys are lovestruck idiots, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23098678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galactic_fire/pseuds/Galactic_fire
Summary: For short LU fic ideas that I simply don’t wanna post as their own thing.1- Legend shares a moment of vulnerability with Hyrule.2- Hyrule injures himself in a fall. Luckily Wild knows a place where he can heal himself, not only physically, but emotionally it seems.3- Wind and Warriors weren’t always the best of friends. In fact there was a time when Wind considered the captain as more of an enemy...4- The boys talk together about who they love5- Legend’s pink hair is refusing to fade. Wild has a plan.
Relationships: Four / Dot (mentioned), Four / Shadow (mentioned/hinted), Hyrule & Wild, Legend & Hyrule, Legend / Ravio (mentioned), Sky / Sun (mentioned), Time / Malon (mentioned), Twilight / Ilia (mentioned), Wild / Flora / Sidon (mentioned), Wind & Warriors
Comments: 74
Kudos: 503





	1. Vulnerability

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy so here’s new content. Like new NEW content. 
> 
> Our first oneshot here is honestly pretty cliched in the fandom at this point. But damn I can’t help it. I’m so soft for Legend and Hyrule being the sweet babs that they are. 
> 
> Next oneshot could be anything tbh. Just whatever I find the most motivation to finish.

The skies erupted with a thunderous roar that shook the small hero to his very center. 

Death Mountain was already scary enough for a young boy to venture through, with it’s suffocating caves and constantly falling boulders. 

Link felt he had to muster every ounce of courage inside of him to venture through such a hazardous place. 

But nothing had prepared him for the mirror. The gateway to the Dark World that _he himself didn’t know about._

His immediate greeting was by the thunder and lightning which was already enough to render his body stiff, as it reminded him of the all too fateful night his adventure began. 

As he looked around him Death Mountain was far more different. 

It was as if every ounce of light had been swallowed up save for the occasional blanket lightning which violently lit up the sky. 

Why was he so afraid? Why was his heart beating so fast?

That was when he noticed. He wasn’t him anymore. 

Or at least, he wasn’t him in human form. 

Reaching out in front of him his hands had been replaced with two pink paws which caused him to stumble backward and land on his rear, revealing two long pink feet to match. 

He let out a cry but nothing escaped his mouth, save for a lone, pathetic squeak. 

He was stuck. Stuck in another world and he was all alone. 

He could feel tears brewing quickly but he wasn’t sure if this animal form would even let them spill. 

As the wind howled and the darkness suffocated him, he let out a hopeless cry for help that even he couldn’t understand. 

He was just a boy. 

Not only a week ago he was being tucked in to bed and kissed on the forehead by his uncle as he dreamed fondly of what tomorrow would hold. 

Now his uncle’s body was surely still lying lifeless in that wretched dungeon and he was cast alone into the world on some quest he never even asked for. 

Curling in on himself he whimpered, though it only came out as soft squeaks. 

“Help me.....help me please.....I want to go home....I just want this all to be a bad dream....” 

—-

Irony of all ironies. That was when The Hero of Legend awoke. 

As his eyes fluttered open and he saw the quiet night sky above him, he briefly closed them again before letting out a deep sigh. 

He counted each finger on his hand. 

1...2...3...4...5

1...2...3...4...5

Everything was in place. Nothing unusual. He wasn’t still dreaming. 

Feeling satisfied with his reality check he let his eyes open for good this time. 

The stars were twinkling above him and for a brief moment he felt a sense of ease wash over him. 

That was until the thoughts of his nightmare began to replay in his mind. 

Legend hated his nightmares. 

He hated them because in a way they weren’t even nightmares at all. 

They were memories. 

Past visions of things he’d rather forget. 

His uncle’s dying breath as he bled out in front of him. The Island of Koholint as he watched it crumble away. 

Tonight it had been perhaps a relatively tame one. 

His first experience in the Dark World. 

That being said, it was still just as traumatic as he had remembered. 

Sitting up Legend felt a lump form in his throat that he swallowed back. 

He wasn’t going to cry. Not now. Not ever. 

Now wasn’t the time to wallow in self pity. He had a job to be doing. Another quest to complete. People to protect.

He wouldn’t cry. He wasn’t _supposed_ to cry. He didn’t _deserve_ to cry...

“Legend?” An all too familiar voice came from behind him. 

Hearing him made him feel both at ease yet even more uneasy. 

“Hyrule...”

“Are you ok?” The brunette asked as Legend turned to face him. “I saw you get up and just kinda...sit there..”

“It’s ok Hylie...” Legend spoke softly. “Just a nightmare was all. Go back on watch...”

“Oh..” Hyrule responded, his voice quieter than before. “Would you like to talk about it?”

Legend made a negative “mm-mm” sound before lying himself back down in the bedroll. 

He expected that to be the last of it. 

He expected Hyrule to continue on watch and for him to lie in the bedroll for hours on end in a desperate but fruitless attempt to get back to sleep, much as he always did. 

He wasn’t expecting to hear Hyrule approach him and flinch as he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Legend?” 

“What!” He snapped, a bit more aggressive than he intended to. 

He turned to face a frowning Hyrule who’d quickly retracted his hand and Legend felt guilt bubble up inside him almost immediately. 

“Legend...” Hyrule continued, even softer than before. “Do these happen often? These nightmares?”

“Why’re you asking?” Legend mumbled. 

“I’ve noticed the bags under your eyes...” Hyrule responded. “Legend. Are you not getting enough sleep because of this?”

Legend felt the lump in his throat come back and he quickly fought to suppress it. 

He couldn’t break down. 

Not in front of Hyrule of all people. 

His descendant. The one who looked up to him...

“M’fine Hyrule...” he mumbled, which clearly wasn’t a good enough answer for the younger hero. 

“You know if these nightmares are bad enough that they’re keeping you awake at night there’s no point in keeping them to yourself.” He stated. 

“We’re here for you Legend. Whenever you need us...”

He could feel his eyes welling up now. 

Fuck. Shit...

“You don’t have to keep things to yourself anymore...”

“H-Hyrule” Legend whined, trying to get him to leave him but he was sure the younger hero could see the cracks in his facade. 

“You don’t have to do this Legend” Hyrule assured calmly before placing his hand back down on Legend’s shoulder. 

“You don’t have to face this all alone.”

That was it. 

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Legend could only let out a weak choked sob as months of suppressed emotions flooded through him. 

Biting his own wrist he curled in on himself as the tears continued to flow down his cheeks. 

Hylia, he was pathetic. 

Here he was still dwelling on the events of the past, still wrapped up in his own self pity, still-

“Legend..”

He felt Hyrule’s hand burry itself under his shoulder and before he knew it he was being hoisted up to meet in eye level with the other boy. 

Though he couldn’t see through his blurred vision, he felt a rough skinned hand wiping his cheeks free of tears. 

Softly, he felt Hyrule’s body envelop his in a gentle hug, to which Legend couldn’t help but melt into. 

It had been so long since he’d gotten a hug. Sure, he’d given plenty. But he couldn’t remember the last time a hug was meant for _him_.

It felt nicer than he’d ever admit. 

“It’s ok. Let it out...” Hyrule whispered as Legend continued to sob into the crook of his neck. 

He barely spoke. Not once asking Legend why he was upset. Legend wondered if perhaps that was because he didn’t know any better, or if he could tell that right now, his companion just needed to cry. 

Hylia damn it. 

He needed this. 

He knew he did. He knew he needed a shoulder to cry on more often than he was comfortable thinking of. 

He hated how vulnerable he felt when he cried. He hated how much it brought him back to being up on that mountain, a cowering little rabbit who just wanted to go home. 

But it was something about Hyrule’s embrace. Something about the hand running down his back. Something about the thick curly hair he was burying himself into. 

Something about him made him feel....

Safe. 

He spent a few minutes, simply letting out all his sadness that had been building up inside him as Hyrule continued to soothe him. 

It wasn’t until his sobs turned into snivels that the hug broke apart only for Hyrule to go fumbling for a handkerchief to clean up his ancestor. 

“When did you get so good at comfort?” Asked Legend weakly as Hyrule began cleaning up his face. 

“I’m not.” Hyrule assured. “I just know that everyone needs to cry it out sometimes. At least, that’s what I believe.”

Legend simply sniffed in response. Allowing Hyrule to wipe away the last of the tears. 

“Do you feel better now?” Asked Hyrule. 

Legend nodded. 

“Would you like to talk about your nightmares?”

Legend by all means would have agreed, but he already felt more tears would threaten to spill should he finally be open with Hyrule. 

Catching them before they started again, he simply shook his head, looking at the ground as he did so. 

“That’s ok.” Hyrule smiled and Legend was briefly shocked at just how well Hyrule could understand just what he needed. 

“But just know, if you ever feel the need to tell me things, or you just need a shoulder to cry on. I’m here for you. We’re all here for you.”

Legend’s lip quivered as he sniveled once again. 

“Thank you Hylie...” was all he could muster but Hyrule smiled nonetheless and pulled him into another brief hug. 

“It’s getting late now.” Hyrule hummed. “You think you’ll be able to get back to sleep?”

Legend nodded and Hyrule gave him a pat on the shoulder before getting up and preparing to go back to his own bedroll. 

“Night night Legend” he spoke as he left. 

“Night Hylie...”

Funnily enough it only took Legend ten minutes to fall back asleep after that. 

Fading away to a peaceful, dreamless night.


	2. Healing Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably the last oneshot before I switch back to Hero of Rhythm and or the other fic I’m working on. 
> 
> Anyway Hyrule is a sweetheart and he deserves the world.

In many ways, the friendship between The Hero of Hyrule and The Hero of The Wild was both surprising and inevitable. 

The two shared a whole plethora of differences yet a whole plethora of similarities. 

For a start, they both lived in strikingly similar environments. 

Both of their Hyrule’s were barren, overgrown and seemingly devoid of human life, save for the occasional village tucked away somewhere. 

The boys themselves, due to their environments, therefore were both keen survivalists. 

For Wild, it was the loss of his memories. His awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection and his beginning of a whole new life, that lead him to discovering his knack for thriving out in the wilderness. 

For Hyrule, he had been surviving ever since childhood. In a world fraught with danger, it was a necessity to learn to live on his own. To fight for himself. 

Both boys shared a love for exploring, discovering new places and cooking (although Hyrule would be first to admit, Wild was far more talented than him at that.)

And yet, the most striking difference between them came from their personality. 

Hyrule was a gentle soul at heart. A humble traveler and nothing more in his mind. Despite courage being one of the most important job descriptors of a Link, Hyrule was easily the most timid of the group. Every action he took had careful planning behind it. It was as if his brain was constantly in fight or flight mode. Which was understandable, given his upbringing. He was quiet, a little on the shy side and always making sure everything was planned in the group. 

Wild on the other hand could most easily be described as blunt, bold and brazen. In reality, he was just as sweet and gentle as Hyrule at times. Yet Wild was always the first one to speak his mind. Always the first to make split second decisions. He rarely cared for consequence, which often made him the most likely to get into trouble. He always tried his hardest never to upset his fellow heroes, but the reality was, he was a risk taker. 

So it was surprising that Hyrule was the one who ended up getting injured that warm morning... 

_“Shit!”_

Hyrule’s voice echoed as Wild whipped his head around to see Hyrule disappear from behind him. 

“Hyrule!”

They had both been exploring Wild’s Hyrule. It was early morning in the Akkala region. 

While the other boys were fast asleep in East Akkala Stable, Wild and Hyrule, both early wakers, had decided to take a trip up to the ancient tech lab to view the sunrise. 

It was a mixture of carelessness and the early morning darkness that made Hyrule lose his footing. 

While venturing close to the cliffside to get a good view of Bloodleaf Lake, Hyrule had slipped and fell. 

Luckily for him, the two were at the very bottom of the hill leading up to the tech lab, so the fall wasn’t massive. Yet it was a fall nonetheless. 

“Hyrule! Hyrule are you ok?!” Wild yelled down at the brunette who lay in a heap. 

Hyrule let out a groan in response. 

He wasn’t unconscious, Wild thought, which was good, but he was still alarmed by the drop the other hero had taken and quickly managed to navigate his way down. 

“Hyrule!” He cried, half breathless as he ran toward the boy. 

“Are you hurt?! Are you injured?!”

Hyrule managed to shakily lift himself up, the hiss he let out through bared teeth was the only answer Wild needed. 

“Let’s see..” Wild prompted gently. 

Hyrule looked at him with pain filled eyes before rolling up his sleeve to assess the damage. 

His entire lower arm up to his elbow was red raw, with several cuts already starting to bleed out. He had clearly scraped it against a rock on the way down. 

Wild frowned at him in sympathy. 

“I hit my leg pretty bad too..” Hyrule spoke quietly. 

“Can you stand up?” Asked Wild. 

Hyrule tried to wobble up from his knees but failed half way through, letting out a yelp as he fell. Luckily Wild was there to catch him this time. 

“I-is it broken?” Wild asked, a slight tone of panic in his voice. 

“Don’t think so...” Hyrule murmured. “Just hurt..”

“W-Wild I..” Hyrule spoke, his voice wobbly. “I don’t think I have enough magic left in me to heal even these...”

Wild grimaced. 

That was right. They’d gotten into a particularly tough monster battle just last night. They were fresh out of red potions, so Hyrule had been their only option to heal their wounds. 

And of course, Hyrule being Hyrule, he had wanted to make sure _everyone_ was ok. Down to the very last tiny cut or bruise. 

“I-I don’t know what I’m going to do...” Hyrule whimpered, sounding on the verge of tears. 

Wild bit his lip. 

This was a conundrum. 

Sure, Wild could easily carry the smaller hero back to the stable. But even there, he wasn’t sure he had the ingredients to whip up a healing potion. 

And that was when it struck him. 

“Actually.” He spoke. “I know a place not too far from here that may be able to help ease your pain.”

Hyrule cocked his head and looked up at the older hero. 

“The only trouble is, we have to warp there...” Wild frowned, pulling out the Sheikah Slate. 

Hyrule gritted his teeth, weighing up his options. 

On the one hand, he absolutely hated warping with Wild’s slate. It was disorienting and awful feeling. Yet on the other, his leg was aching and his arm was already beginning to sting badly. He knew there was no other possible way of easing the pain right now, except whatever way Wild was proposing. 

With anxiety bubbling up in his gut, Hyrule took a deep breath before allowing Wild to warp them. 

“Ok” Wild nodded. “Here we go”. 

Moments later a flash of blue light appeared outside of Gorae Torr Shrine. 

Strings of the light flickered until they formed the shape of two figures and Wild and Hyrule slowly came into being. 

Hyrule immediately fell to his knees, causing the pain that was already radiating in one of his legs to increase drastically and the hero to cry out. 

Warping was surely insult to injury. Now on top of his injuries, Hyrule had to deal with a pounding, dizzy head and a nauseating feeling in his stomach. 

Wild on the other hand, so used to warping at this point, rushed to the other hero’s side, completely unaffected. 

Helping the brunette up, Wild glanced around him before coming to a startling realization. 

“Oh fuck.”

“W-wha?” Hyrule spoke shakily. 

“I forgot the shrine was up here...”

Looking around for a second himself, Hyrule realized the two were quite high off the ground and seemingly situated on their own little stretch of land. 

“W-where are we?” Hyrule asked. 

“Gut Check Rock” Wild responded bluntly, leaving Hyrule just as confused as before he had asked. 

“Ok, let me re-phrase that..” Hyrule stated. “Why are we here?”

“We’re here for what’s below us..” Wild spoke. “But it’s getting down there that’s the problem...”

Wild stopped to ponder something for a moment before turning to face The Hero of Hyrule. 

“Would you be able to hang on to me in a piggyback position, given your current injuries?”

Hyrule blinked. 

“W-why’s that Wild?” 

“Because we’re going to paraglide down there.”

**”What?!”**

“Relax! Relax!” Wild assured. “It’ll be fine!”

Hyrule quickly felt panic rise in him as it culminated in his chest. His pulse quickening and his lungs not wanting to fill quite right. 

Hyrule didn’t like heights that much. 

While he was hesitant to say he _feared_ them. There was many a time they’d been somewhere high up and his legs couldn’t help but turn to jelly. 

It wasn’t his fault. 

He was so accustomed to underground dungeons and caves, the air was an entirely different ball game. 

So of course the thought of gripping on to Wild for dear life as the two flew through the air on a dusty old paraglider was unnerving. 

Very unnerving...

“Hyrule?”

He was snapped out of his own thoughts by the blue clad hero. 

“What do you say?”

“Can’t we just go back?!” Hyrule cried out, far more flustered and nervous sounding than intended, causing him to blush. 

“Hyrule...” Wild sighed, lowering his voice and getting to eye level with the traveler. “Don’t you trust me? I promise if you hold on tight you’ll be just fine!”

Hyrule shot Wild a fearful look and didn’t speak. 

Wild’s ears dropped slightly. 

“Listen we can...we can go back to the stable if you want. I won’t force you..” Wild spoke. “But I promise I can help you here. You just have to believe in me.”

The was something about the sadness in Wild’s voice that really got to Hyrule. 

Wild was a troublemaker. A cause of many problems that the group had to deal with. And yet, despite only having himself to blame. Hyrule couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. 

Not a lot of them really _did_ trust him. Did they?

“I’ll do it..”

“Wha-?”

“I said, I’ll do it...”

Wild immediately beamed, his demeanor changing in an instant. 

Quickly grabbing the paraglider that was attached to his belt, Wild opened it out, the cloth material already catching updrafts. 

“Wait!” Hyrule cried before Wild was about to help him up. 

“....I....I’m nervous....” he admitted quietly. A soft blush reappearing on his face. 

Wild smiled sympathetically. 

“It’s ok buddy. Just hang on tight and close your eyes. We’ll be on the ground in a heartbeat...”

Before he knew it, Hyrule was clinging onto Wild, his arms wrapped around his neck and his legs wrapped around his thigh. His heart beating like crazy as Wild was about to hurl himself off this rock. 

This was a bad idea. 

No, this was a terrible idea. 

They were gonna get killed. 

“You ready?” Asked Wild. 

Hyrule tried to answer but words seemed to evade him. 

It wasn’t as if his answer would have made a difference anyway as Wild began to run toward the edge. 

Shit. 

Shit!

Hyrule squeezed his eyes shut, his grip tightening on the other hero and his own breath seemingly malfunctioning for a split second as he felt Wild jump. 

There was a moment where time stood still. Where Hyrule almost definitely swore he would feel them plummeting in a matter of seconds and that would be it. 

Yet the sudden feeling of weightlessness caused Hyrule to force one eye open. 

Terrified as he was, he couldn’t help but stare on in awe at the landscape around him. 

Bellow him were scattered pools of water. Each a dazzling turquoise blue in color. 

So this was what Wild had come for?

But what quickly distracted him was the view directly in front of him. 

The emerging sunrise that painted the sky and soft clouds a brilliant gold. 

Wild had been gushing about experiencing an Akkala sunrise before Hyrule had fallen.

He was sure neither of them expected to be viewing it from up in the air that morning, but it was beautiful nonetheless. 

Soon the paraglider came to a graceful landing and Wild placed his feet on the floor. 

“You ok Rule?”

No. He wasn’t really. 

He was still gripping on to Wild for dear life and felt dangerously close to throwing up from all the anxiety he had just been through. 

And yet he had just experienced something beautiful and profound. 

It was a strange concoction of emotions...

“I-I’m ok..” he just just about managed to croak out. 

Wild smiled as he helped him down from his back. 

“I told you you could trust me...”

Hyrule was about to respond but in the absolute terror of what he had just done, he’d briefly forgotten about the pain from his fall. 

Putting pressure on his leg was quick to remind him of that however, as he let out a hiss. 

“That leg should should be feeling much better now that we’re here.” Wild assured, quickly going to help the hero stay upright. 

“Welcome to the hot springs!”

Hyrule frowned

“Hot springs?”

“Oh Ruley, this place is like therapy.” Wild gushed. “Once you get in that water it’s incredibly soothing on any aches and pains. I’ve come here plenty a time on my adventure...”

Hyrule looked over at the bubbling water surrounding him. Still feeling a tad dubious. 

But he’d come this far, right? It couldn’t hurt to at least give these “hot springs” a shot. 

Caught up in his own train of thought, he was interrupted by Wild taking his shirt off behind him. His pants already strewn on the ground. 

He barely had time to react to the already concerning scene, before a half naked Wild zoomed past him, taking a canon ball jump in to the pool in front of them. 

Emerging with long hair covering his eyes, Wild was in a fit of giggles. 

“Come on in Ruley. The water’s fine!”

Far less enthusiastic but curious nonetheless, Hyrule took his clothes off until he was in nothing but boxer shorts. Avoiding even looking at the other hero in such an awkward moment. 

But his own awkwardness was quickly subsided as he stuck his feet into the shallow end of the pool. 

Almost immediately he realized what Wild had been talking about when he said this place was therapy. 

The water was warm. Not boiling. Not too cold either. He was instantly transported back in time to lying in a regal bathtub back home in the castle. 

He hadn’t been able to experience such luxuries in a long, long time now, as the group often opted to bathe in stray rivers and streams, purely for the purpose of removing dirt and or blood. 

Settling down into a sitting position, the bubbles rising to the surface tickled Hyrule’s skin while all the while feeling gentle and soothing on his aches and pains. 

“Feeling better?” Wild asked as he swam up to him and perched himself beside the spaced out looking hero. 

“Why haven’t you brought us here before?” Hyrule sighed which prompted a chuckle from Wild. 

“Accessibility issues..” Wild laughed, pointing at Gut Check Rock, the shrine not even visible on top anymore. 

“There is another hot spring at the base of Death Mountain, but it’s swarming with enemies...” Wild rambled, beginning to go on a tangent about chu chus, talluses and guardians. 

Hyrule however was feeling far too blissed out to even properly pay attention. 

Much like his aches and pains, he could feel his worries melting away in a flurry of hot water and bubbles. For the first time in many months he felt completely and utterly at ease. 

Wild soon noticed the lack of attention Hyrule was paying to him but rather than snap him into focus, Wild smiled and simply sunk lower into the water to relax himself. 

About a half hour passed where neither of the boys spoke a word, both simply sat and soaked up the atmosphere of the quiet morning as the sun continued to rise behind them. 

Once the sky was fully bright however, Wild raised himself out of the pool, shivering at the sudden temperature change. 

“C’mon Rule” he hummed. “The others will be waking soon and I have breakfast to cook..”

“....Rule?”

Wild turned to glance at the brunette. His eyes were closed shut and his mouth ajar as his chest rose up and down slowly. 

He was asleep. 

Wild chuckled. 

Five minutes more couldn’t hurt.


	3. Duel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. I know Wars and Wind likely knew each other before LU thanks to the events of HW. But lets toss that out the window and say “what if” lol.

Wind was a tolerant person. 

Or so he liked to believe. 

He’d had to deal with many peculiar characters throughout his adventures, many of which got on his nerves. 

However, though he wasn’t afraid to express his discontent at some people, there were few people who he could say he genuinely hated. 

Upon uniting with his fellow incarnations, things were a little rocky at first. 

Everyone was wary of each other, and who could blame them? 

But quicker than he expected, Wind found himself forming bonds with the other heroes and similarly, them to him. 

Everyone in the group had something he could admire. Something he could empathize with. Something that made his bond stronger with the specific Link. 

And then there was Warriors. 

From the get go, Wind wasn’t sure he liked Warriors all that much. 

It wasn’t that the dude was particularly mean or anything, but there was something about him that made Wind dubious. 

At first he felt guilty for passing judgment so early on, but soon he found his inkling was right after all. 

Warriors was a smug bastard. 

That was how Wind would describe him. 

Far too cocky for his own good. 

To be fair, Legend also had somewhat of a smug aura, but for some reason, the pink haired hero was far more tolerable to the sailor. 

Perhaps it was due to the fact that Legend was far more of a laid back person. 

Almost immediately, Warriors had all but forced himself into a leadership position, which did not help Wind’s growing dislike of the man. 

Not only was he smug, but he was bossy. 

Telling everyone what to do, where to go. Wind couldn’t stand it. 

He was a free spirit. He did _not_ need to be told what to do by some weirdo in a scarf. 

But perhaps what got on Wind’s nerves the most was the way Warriors personally treated him. 

He sometimes wondered if Warriors believed he was a hero just like the rest of them, or some little kid who’d just tagged along for the adventure. 

Either way, one thing was for certain. Warriors was constantly babying him. 

“No Wind! You can’t come with us to investigate the monster sounds. It’s dangerous!”

“No Wind! You can’t have a sip of rum, you’re too young for that!”

“No Wind!”

“No Wind!”

It was driving the sailor to the brink of insanity. 

He was a hero!

He’d been on three separate adventures!

He’d personally stabbed Ganondorf _in the head_ before he’d even reached puberty!

So why was he babying him? Treating him like some little child? He wasn’t! 

One night, after a particularly rough monster battle, Wind’s anger reached a peak. 

The gang were making their way back to camp, bloody and bruised. 

Several of them weren’t doing quite as good as others. 

Hyrule was having to be held up either side by Legend and Twilight as he was walking with a limp. 

Wild had a swollen black eye that was deep purple and frankly, nasty looking. 

Four was still battling with a bloody nose that didn’t want to let up. 

All of the rest of them had some sort of cut or bruise from the fight. It had been a long, exhausting one that had caught them all by surprise. As they fumbled round to get weapons in the dark, it had been the perfect opportunity for the monsters to get the upper hand. 

With a defeated sigh, Wind slumped down to sit on the ground in front of the extinguished fire. 

He grimaced at his torn grey sleeve, glancing at the bandage underneath it that was stained red. 

He had gotten himself a new scar. 

Sitting across the way from him, Warriors was watching him with squinted eyes. Wind wasn’t sure whether that made him uncomfortable or angry. 

Perhaps it was a bit of both. 

You see, in truth it was entirely Wind’s fault he’d gotten injured. 

Warriors had been doing his usual shtick of yelling at people in battle, trying to get various people to fight with various monsters. 

“Wind!” He had yelled. “Go take down the little guy, let me handle the big one!”

He was referring to a scrawny bokoblin that Wind was sure he could down in an instant. Yet in front of him stood a hefty moblin that looked far more of a fight. 

It wasn’t that he particularly enjoyed fighting monsters (none of them did), but he didn’t want to be pushed to the side to fight a weakling as Warriors took all the glory. 

Without any further thought, Wind had charged at the beast as Warriors cried out his name behind him, his tone of both concern and frustration. 

To be fair, Wind had actually gotten some solid jabs at the monster. 

He’d made it bleed out and had weakened it considerably before he made the wrong move. 

All he did was dodge incorrectly. That was all it took for him to feel a horrible sting on his arm as the moblin sliced into his skin. 

The sudden agony was enough for Wind to loose focus and enough time for the moblin to swat him to the side. 

All he could feel was a tremendous force on his back and his body going limp like a ragdoll as he was tossed aside, blacking out before he could feel the true pain of landing. 

When he came to about five minutes later the first thing he could register was the stinging pain in his arm. He hissed, looking down at the bloody wound which he could see was being stitched up, which accounted for the stinging. 

Secondly, he became aware of the entire gang surrounding him, many of them giving sighs of relief seeing the young hero was awake. 

However he was quick to notice the captain watching from behind the crowd, an unmistakable scowl on his face. 

Now that they had made their way back to camp, the scowl had not left and Wind had reached breaking point. 

“Could you stop staring at me?” He mumbled grumpily, giving a squinting side glance to Warriors. 

The older hero blinked at the sudden attention before staying silent for a moment. 

“How’s the scar?”

“S’okay” Wind spoke, looking away from the captain. He could hear the tension in his voice. 

“And your back?”

“It’s ok.” Wind repeated, a little more clear and frustrated. 

Warriors was silent again for a beat, messing with the charred pieces of wood from the fire with his boot. 

“Why?” He spoke in a hushed but clearly angered tone. “Why did you disobey my orders?”

Wind pouted. Eyes now completely averted from the captain. 

“Can you answer me please, Wind”

“You’re not the boss of me!”

The last part had came out far more snappy than intended as Wind lost his temper and Warriors seemed taken aback. 

“Why do you insist on bossing me around?!” Wind yelled, finally unable to control his outbursts. “I’m not some little kid!”

“Maybe so you can avoid getting nearly killed!” Warriors replied, his voice becoming harsh and strong. “I’m only trying to protect you!”

“I don’t need protection!” Wind snapped. 

“Clearly you _do_!” Warriors snapped back, gesturing to the sailor’s arm. 

“Fine then!” Wind huffed. “I’ll prove it to you! You, me, tomorrow, we’ll have a proper fight, one on one, then I’ll show you who’s the kid!”

He wasn’t expecting Warriors to agree at all. He would probably declare it to be a ludicrous idea. 

Yet the sudden smirk that came across the captain’s face caused Wind’s stomach to drop. 

“Fine.” Warriors spoke. “Tomorrow, we’ll have a good clean fight so...”

Wind scrunched his nose up and nodded at Warriors, confirming the deal, before the sailor got up from his seat to go elsewhere. 

Immediately after leaving the captain’s line of sight, a frown appeared on Wind’s face and worry began to set in. 

Why did he suggest that? Why did he even _think_ of such a thing in the first place.

He didn’t even know whether it would be possible to beat Warriors in battle on a normal day, but with a bandaged, aching arm and a back full of bruises, Wind wasn’t sure he’d even last five minutes against the captain. 

He was going to make a fool of himself and only further validate Warriors’ idea that he needed protection. 

Sighing to himself, he tried to shake the thoughts of his perhaps imminent failure out of his head. 

The deal had been made now. There was no going back...

By the time the next day rolled around, Wind could already tell he’d made a mistake. 

Though his scar felt considerably better (and thankfully it wasn’t on his dominant hand) it still hurt quite a bit. 

His back ached as he got up from his bedroll as he pawed at the bruised area. 

Every part of his brain was telling him he wasn’t in fighting condition, and yet, Wind would admit, he was stubborn. 

He would do anything at this point not to allow the smug captain to feel victorious over him. Even if that meant pushing his own body’s limits.

There were glances thrown his way as he sat to eat breakfast.

Clearly the captain had been blabbering to the others about the fight. No doubt singing his own praises and talking about how he would surely win. 

Wind scowled and ate his food silently, ignoring the stares. 

It wasn’t until the end of breakfast that Warriors spoke. 

“You ready then, little sailor?”

The entire gang glanced his way and Wind could feel the pressure bubbling in his gut. 

“Yes.” He confirmed, firmly stopping his mind from getting a chance to reconsider. 

“Are you _sure_ about this you two?” Asked Time, giving a dubious look to both of the heroes. 

“Sure as I’ll ever be...” nodded Wind, folding his arms.

Warriors paused.

“If he’s sure, I’m sure.” 

Not five minutes later, both heroes stood in a clearing near camp, the rest of the group sitting nearby and watching. Some eager, some apprehensive. 

“Alright” Twilight spoke, standing in between the both of them. 

“I want a good, clean fight you two. We’re already low enough on medical supplies as it is, so no injuries please! Whoever’s first to knock the other’s sword out of their hand is the winner. Got it?”

Warriors gave a strong affirmative nod, as did Wind, albeit with less enthusiasm. 

As much as he didn’t want to let his nerves get the better of him, he also wasn’t expecting an audience for this fight. 

The pressure was on to win now. 

He couldn’t have _all_ of them seeing him loose. He just couldn’t. 

“Ready?” Asked Twilight in a warning tone. 

On the opposite side of him, Warriors shifted into a battle position, sword and shield held out in front of him as he smiled cockily. 

Wind scowled, furrowing his eyebrows. 

He was going to wipe that smirk off the smug asshole’s face. 

“Go!”

Immediately Wind sprinted forward, little legs moving like lightning and catching the captain off guard as he stumbled backward. 

There was a furious sound of metal on metal as Wind’s sword came into contact with Warriors’. 

The captain however, was quick to react to the shock and had a firm grasp on the hilt as he shoved the smaller hero away. 

Wind gritted his teeth. 

He was hoping, for a brief moment, the fight could’ve finished then and there. 

It was Warriors turn to come at him now, a new found confidence in his movements. 

Warriors was incredibly skilled with sword play. 

Wind was barely able to parry his strikes and winced at the pressure being put on his injured arm. 

It came for him to be in the vulnerable position now as the captain doubled down on the force of his strikes. 

Wind’s arms wobbled as Warriors’ sword dug into his, pushing with all it’s might and refusing to budge despite Wind’s efforts to push it away. 

In a split second decision, Wind ducked out. 

He was well aware how risky a trick this was but he could feel his sword slipping from his grip and he wouldn’t let Warriors have his victory. 

As Wind frantically dodged to the side the captain let out an “unnf!” as his sword hit the dirt below. Unfortunately, still with a grip on the hilt. 

There were a few gasps from their audience at the surprisingly well executed dodge maneuver and Wind couldn’t help but gain the smirk that Warriors appeared to have lost. 

“Am I too fast for you, captain?” Wind mocked, his voice deviously playful. 

“Oh sailor, this isn’t over yet...” Warriors replied, letting out a huff of air and lifting his sword back up. 

The two boys continued to fight, pulling off all sorts of stunts and techniques. The clang of swords filled the air accompanied by yells and groans as both heroes fought their hardest. 

In the heat of battle, neither of them were registering just how _long_ this was going on for. 

Every time one of them seemed to have the upper hand, the other had a trick under their sleeve. 

It was quite extraordinary how evenly matched they were. 

Now neither of them were being cocky with each other anymore, instead their faces were screwed in concentration and drenched in sweat. 

Wind could feel his arm aching now and his back not far behind, but his own determination forced him to keep fighting. 

He could see the captain tiring now. He just had to tough it out until he could make a move. 

It was Wind’s eager energy to end the fight however, that was ultimately his downfall. 

Deciding to chance his arm, Wind made a charge at the captain, once again trying to dislodge his sword by pure force. 

But the split second glint in the captain’s eyes was the only warning Wind received as Warriors made an near but excellent parry. 

A combination of the shock of it and the slippery sweat that now coated Wind’s hands was what caused his grip to loosen. 

He let out a cry as the sword slipped from his hands, trying desperately to catch the hilt but only serving more to embarrass himself as he lost his footing and fell on his behind, pain radiating up his back. 

Staring at the sword that was settling on the ground, he reality of what had happened hit him. 

He had _lost_. 

He’d tried so hard to prove himself and he had _lost_

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he lowered his head and wrapped arms around himself. 

He didn’t want to be there anymore. He didn’t want to have to hear the captain and the others laugh at him for being the weakling that he was, nor deal with Warriors sneers at how he’d been proven right. He just wanted to-

“Wind?”

The sailor was motionless for a moment as heard the captain’s voice. 

“Wind, are...you ok? You’re not...hurt, are you?”

Wind blinked. 

The other hero’s voice didn’t sound in the least bit snarky. In fact, he sounded genuinely concerned. 

But perhaps what was even more surprising was the fact that he was _panting_. Warriors, their great battle leader was _out of breath_. It was a strange thing for Wind to dwell on, but he’d never seen him quite so exhausted after battle before. 

Lifting his head up cautiously, he looked up at Warriors with a pout on his face, still expecting to be mocked. 

Yet the captain continued to surprise him. 

“Here.” He spoke softly, extending a hand to the younger hero. “Let me help you up.”

Gingerly, Wind accepted the gesture and felt himself being hoisted off the ground. 

He took a moment to dust himself off before turning to face Warriors again. 

The older hero had a smile plastered across his face. But not the smug kind that Wind had grown accustomed to seeing. 

This was a warm, honest smile and it appeared to be directed at him...

“What a fight...” Warriors breathed, before looking down at the sailor. “That was an incredible display of swordsmanship, Wind.”

Wind’s eyes widened as he felt a bashful blush spread across his face. 

Was Warriors genuinely saying this to him right now?

“D-do you mean it?” Wind spoke nervously, half expecting he was being lead into a trap. 

“Of course!” Warriors beamed. “You are an highly skilled young man!”

Wind’s blush deepened as he cast his eyes back to the ground. 

“B-but I lost...” he mumbled. 

“And?” Warriors replied. “You still were clearly giving it your all.”

“But I lost!” Wind repeated, voice a little more shrill. “Doesn’t this just prove your point? That I’m just some kid who needs to be protected...”

Warriors sighed, placing a hand on the sailor’s shoulder. 

“You know the only reason I feel the need to protect you is cos I care about you Wind...” Warriors spoke gently. “While I have no doubt in my mind you’re fully capable of doing just as much, if not more, than us adults, you’re my _friend_ Wind. And friends protect each other.”

Wind found tears begin to prick his eyes again, but not for the same reasons as before. 

“I’m sorry I was so mean to you...” he mumbled, barely above a whisper. 

Warriors sighed and pulled him into a hug. 

“I’m sorry too..”

He held the sailor in his arms for a beat until his head turned to face the rest of the boys. 

Most of them were gawking at the scene before them. A couple smiled sweetly as Warriors blushed, realizing he may have just exposed his more “soft” side to everyone without realizing it. 

“Alright alright scram you lot!” Warriors yelled as the others scurried off, leaving the two heroes to have their moment. 

Wind couldn’t help but giggle as Warriors’ bossy demeanor returned. 

After that incident. Wind came to realize two things. 

The first was that he had indeed passed judgment too quickly on The Hero of Warriors. 

While he had a tough shell, it was clear he was just as much of a softy as many of the other heroes, perhaps even more so than many of them. He cared deeply about them all, he just showed it differently. 

The second was that despite all his protest and whining, he would admit...

Having someone out there who was so protective of him wasn’t the worst thing in the world after all...


	4. Smitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell Yeah. I’m not dead. 
> 
> I have been struggling a lot to write as of recent due to my funky friend depression. 
> 
> I promise that all the current series I have been working on are still continuing!!
> 
> Obviously if you don’t like any of these ships, don’t read. 
> 
> Done for the the pride week prompt on main.

The campfire crackled and burned, the heat of the flames illuminating the soft smiles of the gang in the dark. 

It had been a long night full of endless conversations over many topics. 

After a while, however, the topic had shifted to Time’s Hyrule. To the cozy farmhouse where the eldest hero called home, but most importantly, to the woman who lived there. 

“So how did you two meet?” Asked Sky, looking at the old man with wide eyes. 

“I was trying to get into Hyrule castle and she gave me an egg.”

There was a stunned silence, followed by several of the heroes bursting into a fit of laughter. 

“I...what?” Sky asked, a confused and exasperated grin on his face. 

“Settle down. Settle down folks.” Time instructed, smiling coyly at his amused team before turning back to Sky. 

“It’s a um....it’s a long story.”

“Oh but, please, tell me more about her!” Sky chirped, looking eagerly at Time. 

“Well what else is there to tell?” Time spoke. “You’ve met her in person. You’ve been to the ranch. You know we’re married and that I love her dearly. There’s no secrets I keep about Malon. We love each other. Plain an simple.”

Sky seemed strangely deflated by that answer. “I suppose.” He spoke, sinking back into his seat. “There isn’t much else to learn, is there?”

Time spoke again after a beat. 

“Y’know. I see how giddy you get when I talk about Malon, Sky.” Time explained. 

“I’m no expert, but that look in your eyes tells me that maybe you’re thinking of a special someone too.”

Sky stared at Time in shock before quickly averting his eyes as his face flushed red. 

“H-How did you know?”

Time chuckled. 

“Just a hunch.”

“I knew it!” Interjected Warriors loudly. “Bird boy’s got himself a lady friend.”

“Tell us about her.” Time instructed softly, giving the shyer boy a nod of encouragement. 

Sky took a moment to speak, fumbling round with the sailcloth in his hand nervously as he watched the fire flicker. 

When he finally did open his mouth he let out a long sigh before uttering a single name. 

“Zelda.”

There was a general hum and murmur of agreement at that name which prompted Sky somewhat out of his embarrassment. 

“Zelda...” he sighed again. “Where even to begin?”

“Childhood friends?” Asked Four from the other side of the campfire. 

Sky gave the minish hero a knowing smile. “Yes. Yes absolutely.” He answered. “I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t in my life.”

“Awww” piped up Wind. “So it was meant to be hmm?”

Sky had a permanent smile plastered on his face now, blushing profusely. 

“Yes.” He nodded. “Yes I’d like to think it was.” 

“Zelda has been there for me through thick and thin. She’s been the best friend I could ever ask for. If anything, my adventure proved to me that she meant everything to me.” Sky spoke. His voice was gentle and filled with happiness. 

“Not long after our quest ended, I confessed my love to her....and she loved me back! We’ve been together ever since...”

There were warm smiles now from all around the campfire as Sky rambled about his love. 

“That’s so sweet...” Twilight commented as the others nodded. 

Sky paused for a moment, twiddling the cloth in his hand again. 

“I think...” he spoke, quieter than before. “I think when this is all over...I think I’m going to ask her to marry me...”

There were several gasps from the group at Sky’s revelation as the boy’s face blushed an even deeper red. 

Wind let out a loud cheer. “GO SKY!”

“Atta boy!” Added on Wild. 

“Ugh. Marriage is a scam, you know?” Warriors groaned, but shut his mouth when Time shot a glare at him. 

“Pay no mind to him.” Time sighed as Warriors pouted. “But marriage is a big step, Sky.” He warned. “Are you sure you’re ready for that commitment?”

Sky pursed his lips. 

“Perhaps it may be early and I may be young, but I do strongly believe Zelda is the love of my life...”

“Besides...” Sky continued after a beat. “We were already talking about building a house together. She wants to live on the surface. Why not tie the knot while we’re at it?”

Time gave the chosen hero a sincere smile which Sky returned. 

“I wish you luck for the future.” He spoke. “It sounds like you have a wonderful relationship.”

Sky laughed fondly. 

“I could talk for hours about her.” He sighed, gazing upwards with a faraway look in his eyes. “I will spare you from that though.” 

There was another silent moment as the embers from the fire flickered and danced.

“So...Zelda huh...”

Suddenly all eyes turned to the minish hero. 

Sky’s eyes lit up. 

“You too?!”

Four smiled awkwardly. 

“I guess...”

“Yes!!” Sky yelled, starling Hyrule next to him. “I knew I couldn’t be the only one!”

“Hang on a moment.” Spoke Legend. “You guess?”

Letting out a somewhat nervous sounding laugh, Four responded. “It’s a bit complicated...” 

“Oh?” Sky questioned, his enthusiasm lessening. 

“No no, don’t get me wrong!” Four was quick to answer back. “I’m sort of in the same boat. The princess and I have been friends since childhood. She’s an amazing and beautiful person...”

“So what’s complicated?” Asked Twilight. 

Four was slightly tense as he looked toward the dirt, just about able to make out where his silhouette would be. 

“There was someone else...” He spoke. 

The camp was silent, listening intensely to his words. 

“I...don’t even know what I could have considered him.” Four continued. “An enemy? A friend? A love interest?....Either way, I know there were some sort of strange feelings there...”

He sighed. 

“He’s been gone for a long while now. I only knew him briefly too. But I catch myself thinking about him a lot....I guess the guilt is part of the reason I have yet to ask out Zelda...”

The camp remained silent. The sweetness in the air from Sky’s gushing had mellowed out to a somber tone. 

“I’m sorry.” Time responded, cutting through the quietness. 

“It’s ok.” Four added, a melancholic smile on his face. “What’s in the past is in the past and at the end of the day, I _do_ still believe I’m in love with Zelda.”

From next to him, Wind enveloped the smaller hero in a squeezing hug, catching Four by surprise. 

“It’s gonna be ok!” He spoke encouragingly. “I bet you she’ll go out with you!”

Four’s gloomy mood was lifted as he giggled, ruffling the sailor’s hair. 

“And what about you, little pirate?” Four laughed. 

Wind pulled away, puzzled. “Me?” 

“Do you have a special someone?”

Wind blinked and frowned. 

“No. At least, I don’t think so...” he answered, confusion in his voice. 

“What about the pirate girl?”

Wind whipped around to Warriors who was looking at him with a smug grin on his face. 

“...Tetra?” Wind asked. 

“Mmm” Warriors confirmed. “You seem awfully smitten with her...”

Wind blushed, an awkward look on his face. 

“I mean...she’s really cool. Really, really cool. But I don’t know if I _love_ Tetra...” Wind spoke. 

“Heh.” Warriors smirked. “By the way you talk about her I’d argue otherwise...”

“Oh for Hylia’s sake..” groaned Legend, interjecting. “He’s only thirteen, captain, can’t the kid just have friends?!”

“Hey! I’m nearly fourteen!” Wind yelped, turning to face Legend. 

“I’m trying to help you out here!” Hissed Legend. 

“It’s ok to be just friends with someone Wind” interrupted Twilight, trying to ease the the tension. “I don’t think any of us would expect you to be in a relationship at such a young age.” He said, glaring at Warriors. 

“Ok geez!” Warriors cried, raising up his hands defensively. “I’m only calling it like I see it!”

“A yes, Warriors, the love connoisseur~” Legend spoke sarcastically. 

“Oh shut up!” Warriors barked as Legend let out an amused huff. 

“How many exs have you got now?...” asked Wild. He seemed less judgmental about it and genuinely curious. 

Warriors facepalmed and sighed. 

“Too many Wild. Too many...”

“Yeah yeah, we get it, you’re a ladies man.” Groaned Legend. 

“Oh yeah yeah ‘ladies man’ sure. In my defense, I never asked for this.” Warriors pouted. “Do you think it’s fun having a bunch of women chasing after you?”

“I think you don’t know how lucky you are...” Legend scoffed. 

“Lucky to some perhaps.” Warriors sighed. “But for me? No.”

“Besides.” He continued. “I’ve never been able to truly settle down in a relationship. I’d give anything to be in some of you guy’s position.”

“Well what’s stopping you from settling down?” Asked Twilight curiously. 

Warriors groaned. 

“Mistrust? Bad communication? Poor decisions? I don’t know. But all I know is that every time either her or me chose to leave.”

Legend frowned. 

He would admit he did feel somewhat sorry for the captain upon hearing that. 

“Anyway.” Spoke Warriors. 

“Who knows? Maybe I’d do better with a boyfriend?”

The captain chuckled after that, expecting the rest of the gang to join in. However they were all looking at him with wide eyes and curiosity. 

“Err” Warriors frowned, not elaborating on whether that was a joke. 

“Hyrule!” He yelled, quickly taking the focus off him. 

The brown haired boy seemed to have almost fallen asleep and was startled back to reality by the captain. 

“You’ve been awfully quiet this whole time!” Warriors stated with a half nervous laugh. “What’s your love life like?”

Hyrule squinted his eyes at the captain. 

“My....my love life?”

“Yep!” Confirmed Warriors. “Got anyone special we should know about?”

Hyrule frowned. 

“Um...no.”

“Oh really?” Asked Warriors. “Not even a small crush?”

Hyrule blushed awkwardly. 

“I um. I don’t do crushes..”

Next to him Sky looked over with slight concern. 

“What do you mean?”

Hyrule felt a twang if nervousness in his stomach as he stared into the fire. 

“I uh....I guess I’ve just never really had a romantic attraction to anyone...” He explained, hoping the others wouldn’t look at him funny. 

“I just. Don’t think that a relationship is for me...” he said softly. “At least. Not yet...”

Hyrule felt his nervousness rise even more at the silence that followed until it was interrupted by Sky. 

“.....You know what Rule? I can respect that.” He smiled as Hyrule gave him a slightly shocked look. 

“Really?”

“Of course!” Confirmed Sky. “While I can’t personally imagine what it would be like to be without my Zelda, I can understand where you’re coming from.”

“Relationships are tricky.” Time added. “They require so much attention and time to work. Not wanting one now is ok. Hell, not wanting one ever is ok.”

Hyrule was smiling softly now, looking as if he was going to get a bit weepy. 

“I always thought it was wrong of me not to want to be in a relationship...” he said gently. “But I’m glad you don’t think so...” 

“Aww Rule.” Cooed Sky, placing a hand on the shorter hero’s shoulder. “You know we support you no matter what!”

“Yeah!” Yelled Wind from across the campfire. “Who needs a dumb partner anyway?!” To which the youngest received a few mixed looks. 

“Are you still ok with us talking about relationships?” Asked Twilight to the brunette, yet also seemingly throwing the question out in general. 

Hyrule nodded and there was a general hum of agreement at the statement. 

“Well if that’s the case?” Twilight added, a look of bashfulness on his face. “Would anyone like to hear about my girlfriend?”

Wild almost jumped out of his seat. 

“You have a _girlfriend_?!”

Twilight chuckled. “Have I not told you yet, cub?”

“No you have _not_!” Wild yelled, sounding almost offended. 

Twilight let out a hearty laugh as Wild glared at him. 

“To be fair, we had only been together for a few weeks before I was dragged out on this crazy quest.”

Twilight received some empathetic looks at that. Those who had partners knew how it felt to be away from them. 

“My relationships have been a bit rocky in the past...” Twilight elaborated. “I went through a...erm...a bad ‘break up’ so to speak...” 

Twilight shot a glance at Four who returned a knowing frown and nod at the older hero. 

“But my current relationship!” Twilight continued, changing the subject “I do believe she is the one for me...”

“I’m glad you have someone now...” Sky smiled as Twilight smiled back. 

“I should confess...” Twilight said nervously. “I have always been bad with romance....It makes me feel so awkward. I stumble on my words and can’t quite think right...” 

“But....she is so patient with me. She understands my struggles and how my last relationship went. She can be a little bit bossy from time to time. But I know we love each other...”

Wild was smiling so fondly listening to his mentor gush. 

“What’s her name?...” he asked softly. 

Twilight paused. A slight blush tinting his face. 

“Ilia...”

“Ilia...” Wild repeated. 

“You must introduce me to her once we get to your Hyrule.”

“Introduce us all...” instructed Time. “She sounds lovely...”

“I will...” sighed Twilight in content. 

“BLEUGH”

The sweet moment was swiftly interrupted by The Hero of Legend making an obnoxious retching noise. 

“Can we _please_ quit with all the romance talk?” He whined. “It’s making my stomach crawl...”

Legend received a couple of disapproving glares and an elbow to the side from Hyrule. 

“Ow!! Hey!!” He barked. 

“Oh yes. Let me guess...” Warriors scoffed. “Can’t handle the romance talk because he’s a salty single...”

Twilight froze, looking carefully at Legend’s facial expression. 

He knew that Warriors was only teasing, but he was well aware this situation could get ugly as he recalled back to what Legend had confessed to him just a few weeks prior. 

“I’ll never see her again...and it’s all my fault...” 

He was half expecting the younger hero to start to cry at that comment. 

He was _not_ expecting Legend to to lean back in his seat, a smug grin on his face. 

“I have a partner...” Legend responded, smirking at all the wide eyes and dropped jaws. 

“Who?!” Gasped Wind. “Have we met them?!?”

“As if I’d tell you guys.” Legend scoffed. “Besides. I said to cut the romance crap-”

“Is it Zelda?” Asked Four, completely ignoring the pink haired hero. 

“I...what? No!” Legend snapped. “I said-“

“He’s lying~” Warriors interrupted in a sing song voice.

“It’s not Zelda!!” Snapped Legend. 

“Well then who is it?” Questioned Wild. 

“I said I’m not telling...” Legend huffed, crossing his arms. 

“Oh quit being such a baby!” Warriors spoke, exasperated. “Everyone else has talked about theirs!”

“Wars..” Time spoke in a warning tone. “If he doesn’t want to tell, don’t force him.”

“Ugh. Fine” Warriors huffed. “You’re impossible y’know, Legend...”

Legend turned his nose up at the captain. 

Throughout this whole exchange nobody had noticed the look of screwed concentration on the traveler’s face as he looked back and forth between Legend and off in the distance. 

There was an awkward beat of silence until Hyrule spoke. 

“It’s the merchant isn’t it?”

Legend immediately started to choke on the drink of water he was sipping as Hyrule frantically leaned over to slap his back a couple of times. 

“F-fuck” Legend coughed as he managed to breathe properly again, Hyrule mumbling apologies next to him. 

“....So Hyrule’s right?” Warriors asked cautiously. 

Legend said nothing, but the flush spread across his face spoke volumes. 

“How did you know?” Legend groaned at his timeline buddy, burying his face into his hands. 

“I uh..” Hyrule replied. “Remember the time when we stayed at your place? Well I got up in the middle of the night to get some water and I found you two asleep cuddled together on the couch....I didn’t think much of it at the time...but now...”

Legend let out a muffled groan into his hands. Mentally cursing at himself for even opening his mouth. 

“Fine...” He admitted. Raising his head. “Ravio and I are dating...”

“Awww, Legend!” Wind squealed. “That’s adorable!”

“Shut uuupp..” Legend grimaced, his face practically on fire. 

“May I ask how long you’ve been dating?” Time queried. “Only if you’re comfortable telling of course...”

“...A year...” Legend mumbled, to which he was met with more “awws”. 

“I never would’ve guessed...” Warriors said, puzzled. “You two did seem affectionate, but I didn’t think you had romantic energy...”

“Look.” Legend spoke, straightening himself up. “Ravio is a....character. He’s annoying. He’s selfish. He’s greedy. But...he’s also soft...and sweet.....and loving...”

Legend looked down again bashfully. 

“I don’t know what I would do without him sometimes...”

“I’m so happy for you Legend...” Twilight hummed, grateful that Legend did indeed have someone to love. 

“Me too.” Said Hyrule, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder. “Ravio’s a lucky guy...”

“Ok ok!” Legend snapped, shooing Hyrule away. “I did it. I admitted it. Can we move on please?!” 

If Legend got any more embarrassed his entire body would go red, it seemed. 

“I...think that’s all of us...” stated Four. 

“Nope.” Responded Time, pointing a finger toward a certain blue clad hero who was now wolfing down leftovers from dinner. 

All eyes turned to The Hero of The Wild as he swallowed his food and shot the gang a nervous look. 

“I uh. Don’t think you all would care to know about my love life...” Wild answered. 

“Oh I think we would.” Warriors spoke. 

“Is it Zelda for you too?” Asked Sky. 

The group had briefly met Wild’s Zelda once. A keen young girl who was passionate about her scientific research and seemed absolutely head over heals for Wild. 

Wild let out a single brief laugh. 

“Mmhmm. Yeah it’s her..”

“I figured..” Sky responded. “She’s very sweet. She seems really taken with you too...”

“S-she is..” Wild mumbled. 

“So...what’s the big deal then, cub?” Twilight asked, noticing his nervous energy. 

Wild gritted his teeth and cleared his throat. 

“I uh.....it’s.....It’s not just Zelda...”

There was a stunned moment of dead space. 

“Not just Zelda?” Hyrule echoed his words. “What do you mean?”

Wild sat up, deciding to be frank with them. 

“I have two partners...” he spoke matter-of-factly. “....and one of them is a zora prince...” 

The silence continued until it was broken by the sound of Warriors’ laughter. 

“D-damn.” Warriors breathed. “This dude is out here getting more action than any of us!”

It didn’t take long for Twilight to smack him upside the head. 

“Ow!” Warriors yelped. 

“...Two partners...” Hyrule repeated. “I didn’t even know you could _do_ that...”

“It’s...not the most common thing, I will admit...” Wild said sheepishly. “But it’s a very possible thing to do! And we are in a very loving relationship together.”

“Tell us about the prince, lover boy~” teased Legend, to which Wild stuck out his tongue. 

“Sidon...” Wild breathed. “I met him on my quest and just...fell head over heals...”

“We both loved each other, but he was the first to confess to me and I told him I loved him back. When I freed Zelda from Ganon’s grasp she also admitted love to me...”

“I was so scared...” he said in a hushed voice. “I was scared I was going to lose both of them. But I told Zelda about Sidon and we arranged to meet. And after a long time of bonding together, we all decided that well...we all have two hands. In Sidon’s case....two very big hands...” 

“Well look at you!” Twilight cooed as his cub smiled proudly. “Your relationship sounds fascinating...”

“What’s it like dating a zora?” Chimed Wind, looking at the champion with big, curious eyes. 

Wild chuckled. 

“It’s much the same as dating a hylian. Except he is...very huge. He has to lift up Zelda and I just so we can give him a kiss...”

“Zelda would probably have to do that to me too...” commented Four, to which the other heroes and Four himself started to laugh. 

“...It felt nice to talk about that...” Wild spoke quietly after the gang had settled down. 

“It did.” Confirmed Sky. 

“I was so scared that you would think I was wrong for it...” Wild said, even quieter. 

“Of course not!” Time interjected. “Not only you Wild, but everyone here has a wonderful and valid relationship.”

“And what about the singles?” Grumbled Warriors. 

“You’re also valid..” sighed Time exasperatedly. 

“Whoop!” Cheered Wind, hugging the captain. “Singles club! Get on in here Hyrule!”

“I’m good...” Laughed the traveler. 

“Thank you guys for letting me ramble about my girlfriend...” Sky smiled. 

“...and me with my boyfriend...I guess..” Legend added, his bashfulness returning. 

“And we’d love to hear more!” Exclaimed Twilight. “But it’s getting late now. We should probably get to bed.”

The gang all agreed and started to gather up their things. 

The fire was dying out now, it’s flames no longer reaching high as it burned the logs underneath it a deep orange. 

“Psst. Warriors..” Whispered Wind as he tugged on the elder hero’s shirt. 

“What’s up little buddy?”

“Is it true?” Wind asked. “What you said about getting a boyfriend?”

Warriors chuckled and ruffled the sailor’s bright blonde locks. 

“That’s for you to know and me to find out, bud.”


	5. Bad Hair Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello y’all ❤️
> 
> I think I’m starting to get back into the swing of writing!
> 
> Anyway, this is such a weird blend of crack and angst. Enjoy.

Legend looked in the mirror once again, running fingers through his delicate locks. 

He squinted at his roots, his natural hair color peeking out, just as it always did. Teasing him with the thought of returning to normality. 

It had been one month now. 

One month since Legend’s run in with Twilight’s dark magic that had shifted him unwillingly into his bunny form and the debacle of trying to return to normal using the Master Sword. He still remembered his initial shock to his new doo. Sky’s laughter, his panic and Twilight’s reassurance: 

“You weren’t changed for long, it’ll fade.”

Well that was a fucking lie. 

One month. One month and not a single strand of blonde wanted to show itself through the thick mess of cotton candy bubblegum that Legend now called his hair. 

He let out a long sigh as he turned away from the mirror. 

The prospect of being bald was not a pleasant thought for Legend, even if he had threatened it in those first moments of fear. Besides, he had been berated not to, with the promise that his original hair would soon return. 

But truthfully Legend was running out of patience. 

He wouldn’t admit it, not in a million years, but the hair was starting to affect his self esteem. 

The boys had gotten used to it enough that nobody laughed anymore at least. But every time they were in a village or crowded place, Legend without fail would get several looks in his direction. 

Gawking, giggling, disapproval. 

Legend didn’t care if the reaction was positive or negative. All he knew was that he didn’t want it. 

He was sure the others had noticed by now how he would stick close to the middle of the group at every village stop. How he would keep his head down low and not speak a word. 

Because Hylia damn it! This was humiliating! 

Sighing again, this time more angrily, Legend left the mirror behind, no longer wanting to look at himself. 

Why this?

Why on top of _everything else_ that had gone so utterly wrong in his life, did this have to be yet another problem?

Perhaps he was over exaggerating. 

Hair wasn’t _that_ big of a deal, right?

But for a man who, more than anything, refused to come off as fragile and soft, pink was perhaps the worst color at conveying that. 

“Fuck you Hylia...” he mumbled under his breath. 

Once again it was always him who seemed to be the goddess’ play toy. 

With one last sigh, this time of hopelessness, Legend emerged from the inn bathroom, tugging his hat down firmly on his head as he did. 

He would just have to keep waiting.

and waiting...

and waiting....

Surely it couldn’t stay pink forever. Right?

About a week later the boys stepped through another portal. 

When they arrived at the other side, all dizzy and disoriented, it didn’t take long for a smile to form on Wild’s face. 

“My Hyrule!” He chirped. “By the looks of things, we’re just outside Hateno Village...”

Immediately there was a aura of calm that washed over the group. 

Usually when it came to switching worlds, it was, more often than not, a nightmare. The general hullabaloo of trying to figure out where and _when_ they were. Then of course, knowing their luck, they would be too far away from any villages or towns to stay the night. 

But hearing they knew exactly where they were for once brought a much needed sense of relief to the group. 

Not only that but it was _Hateno_ which meant they were right near Wild’s house. Though the champion only had a bed for himself, it at least would mean they wouldn’t have to pay for an inn, despite the lack of a comfortable place to sleep. 

About ten minutes later they found themselves at the gate of the village. A young child running by stopped in his tracks. 

“Welcome back Mr Link!” He cheered at Wild, to which the champion smiled and waved at the kid. 

Legend could already feel himself involuntarily getting closer to the rest of the group, hiding in the shadow of the taller boys like Warriors and Time. It had become a force of habit at this point. 

Luckily it was early in the morning and the light in the sky wasn’t quite bright enough to show off Legend’s hair in it’s true dazzling pink. But it was still not enough to mask the retched color. 

Wild lead the way as the gang sauntered through the (thankfully) quiet village. Taking them uphill and past the shrine to a sight they were all now familiar with as Wild’s cozy house stood out by itself in it’s own little corner of Hateno. 

As they made their way toward the small building, Legend internally breathed a sigh of relief. 

Thank Hylia they didn’t have to interact with anyo-

“Link!”

Why did he even bother...

As the gang made their way toward the house, an older man stepped out of the door of one of the more modern houses just in front. 

He seemed somewhat familiar. 

“Bolson!” Wild smiled, returning the greeting. 

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you round these parts. I was starting to think you’d moved on.” The man spoke. 

“Of course not!” Wild gasped. “Hateno is my home, I would never.”

“I should hope not after all that refurbishment Hudson and I broke our backs over!”

Both Wild and Bolson let out a chuckle at that. 

“Well it’s good to see you Bolson.” Wild hummed. “I wish I could stay and chat, but we need to get to my home.” He said, pointing a thumb back at the boys behind him. 

Bolson took a moment to look back at all of them, eyes darting from one hero to the other. 

Legend felt himself trying to look small. 

“Lovely to see you back Link” Bolson spoke after a beat, not commenting on any of the gang. “I’ll see you around!”

Wild started walking again and Legend assumed he was in the clear. Until...

Bolson looked him straight in the eyes as he passed by, Legend immediately feeling his stomach drop. 

“And _love_ the hair by the way...”

That was all he said before he turned around to go about his day. But the damage was already done as Legend felt his face heat up and heard a few snickers from the other boys. 

For Hylia’s sake...

One village. They couldn’t even go to ONE VILLAGE without someone commenting on it. Either to his face or behind his back. 

Legend wasn’t sure whether what he felt pouring through his veins was anger or embarrassment, or both. But all he knew what that it was making him want to cry. 

Stepping in the doors to his house, Wild couldn’t help but grin. It felt nice to be back. As he basked in the familiarity of his home and the others began to set down their things, Wild couldn’t help but notice the scowl on Legend’s face. 

“Bolson was being genuine, you know...” Wild spoke, catching the hero off guard as Legend blushed again. “He loves the color pink.”

“Whatever...” Legend mumbled, staring at the ground. 

Wild frowned as he approached the collector, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, are you alright?”

Legend flinched slightly at the touch, glancing up at the champion’s worried eyes. He could feel his composure beginning to break and he needed an excuse...fast. 

“Look.” He spoke bluntly. “I’m real tired ok?”

“Oh.” Wild responded. “Well I have a bed right up there” he said, pointing up to the second floor. “You want us to go outside so you can have some peace and quiet?”

Were it any other situation, Legend probably would’ve declined the offer. But the boy was so unbelievably grumpy at that moment that the thought of some alone time was too enticing. 

“Sure” he mumbled. 

Wild was quick to gather the others, corralling them and shooing them out of the house, explaining the situation to the confused boys as he did. 

“Try get some sleep.” Wild called up as he was about to close the door. “I’ll come back to wake you when lunch is ready.”

Legend didn’t respond and Wild lowered his head, closing the door behind him. 

He turned around to be met with the faces of his companions. Several of them looking thoroughly pissed off. 

“Did we _really_ have to leave the house because someone needed his morning nap?” Warriors deadpanned. 

“Yeah! We could’ve been quiet!” Added Wind. 

“Ok. First off we all know that’s bullshit” Wild responded, receiving some mixed looks. “Secondly, that’s not why I suggested Legend should have the house to himself...”

Wild beckoned the gang further away from the door before he spoke again. 

“Legend..” he said in a hushed voice. “I’m worried about him...”

“Why?” Asked Four. 

“This whole hair thing. I think it’s really messing him up...”

Warriors scoffed. “Oh please. He’s just being overdramatic about it...”

Twilight however, butted in. “You’re right Wild. He seems really down as of late. I think that hair has a lot to do with it...” The guilt in his voice was unmistakable. 

“I think so too” added Hyrule. “I can tell how much it’s affecting him...”

“Even if it _is_ affecting him, what are we supposed to do about it?” Warriors groaned. “We can’t just go up to him like ‘cheer up Legend. We’re sorry you look like an idiot’”. To which Wind elbowed the captain, berating him for being mean. 

Wild however had a glint in his eyes. 

The kind of glint that would illicit both curiosity and fear into anybody. 

“...What’s with that look Wild?” Sky asked cautiously. 

Wild grinned. 

“I have a plan...”

“A plan?” Echoed Time. Unmistakable uncertainty in his voice. 

“Yes.” confirmed Wild. “And now that we’re in Hateno it’ll be even more easy to pull off....We’re all going to have to be in agreement with it, but I think that we may have a shot at cheering up Legend if we go through with it.”

“What exactly _is_ this plan?” Four asked, suspicious. 

“I don’t care” Hyrule interrupted, turning his attention to Wild. “If it will cheer up Legend, I’m willing to go through with it.”

Wild was taken aback by the surprisingly bold move from the traveler, but smiled nonetheless. 

“Me too!” Piped up Wind. “Legend deserves to be happy!”

“Ok, that’s two of you at least.” Wild confirmed. 

“But for the rest of you, let me explain...”

Three hours later, Legend found himself waking in Wild’s bed. 

Truth be told, he hadn’t actually planned to go to sleep. But the allurement of proper bed had been too enticing for him. 

Though he still felt, to put it lightly, like shit, the nap seemed to have helped a little. 

Stretching and rubbing his eyes, Legend let out a large yawn. 

Outside the window it was fully bright now, the sun high in the sky. It looked to be around the mid afternoon. 

Strange. 

Wild had promised to wake him up for lunch. 

Surely they would’ve eaten by now...

A new found anger started to rise in Legend. 

Had they forgotten about him?

Groaning, he got up out of the bed, taking one more full body stretch before he made his way down the stairs. 

If they had forgotten to wake him, Hylia help them, they’d be getting an earful. 

Opening the door Legend turned to face the cooking pot, half expecting to see them all tucking into lunch without him. 

.....

And then Legend’s jaw hit the floor. 

Indeed, the group was gathered around the cooking pot, Wild was seemingly just getting ready to prepare lunch. 

As Legend had come outside they all turned to face him, some of them looking at him with a devilish grin, some others with an embarrassed blush.

Each and every one of them with different colored hair. 

The first person Legend’s eyes locked on to was Sky. His hair dyed crimson red. It was as bright and bold as fresh blood and stuck out like a sore thumb in the sunlight. The chosen hero was looking up at him with a bashful smile. 

Legend’s eyes then ran down the line. 

Wild sat next to Sky. Arms crossed and looking somewhat smug. His hair was a muted dark blue. Matching near perfectly with the darker parts on his champions tunic. 

Next to Wild, Wind sat with an arm wrapped around the champion. His hair was also blue, yet his shone like the sky on a summer’s day. The youngest seemed endlessly giddy. 

Next was Twilight. He seemingly had not gone quite as bold with his hair color choice. His was a dark grey that matched quite nicely with pelt he wore around his shoulders. 

Hyrule had gone the darkest out of all of them it seemed. It took Legend a moment to notice that his hair was not in fact black, but rather a very deep aqua. Like the bottom of a murky lake. Hyrule’s blushing face and green tinged hair glinted in the sun. 

Legend couldn’t fully tell by Warriors’ expression as to whether he loved or hated his new doo. It was a striking carrot orange, looking similar to the decorative elements on his scarf. A bold move from the captain. 

Four...Well Four had gone all out. Legend knew the kid had a weird aesthetic for red, green, blue and purple, but seeing the colors in separate streaks in his hair was something else entirely. 

Finally sat Time, looking the grumpiest out of all them. His hair was died pure white. A far cry from some of the other boy’s neon hues but it was still an unusual color nonetheless and an unexpected participation from the stoic leader. 

Legend stared. 

His eyes fixated on the rainbow in front of him for an awkwardly long time as the others waited for some kind of response. 

And then his lips curled up into a smile. 

He couldn’t help it. He begin to cackle. Doubling over in the most giddy laughter the rest of the boys had seen in a long time. 

Several smiles were sent Wild’s way as the champion looked on triumphantly. 

Legend continued to laugh gleefully as he approached the others, plonking himself down and wiping tears away from his eyes. 

“You guys are idiots...” he spoke softly, still chuckling. 

Four wrapped an arm around him while Time reached a hand up to pat him on the shoulder. 

“We love you too” Wild hummed. 

Later that day as they were leaving Hateno, the group walked together as usual. 

It was late afternoon now. The sun glaring down and many of the village residents were out and about going about their day to day lives. 

Except today the whole village seemed to stand still as the nine man rainbow gang made their way down the path. 

Legend could feel the stares at him boring into the back of his skull, perhaps now more than ever. 

And yet. Suddenly it all didn’t feel quite as bad. 

Suddenly the gawking and laughter was not at him, but rather at _them_. Him and his group of dorky companions who had all gone above and beyond to make him feel like he was no longer the black sheep of the group. 

Suddenly Legend found himself smiling. 

A new found confidence burned in his chest. 

He looked ridiculous. 

They _all_ looked ridiculous. 

But Hylia damn it, it was strangely fun. 

He wouldn’t admit it to them. Not now at least. But perhaps in future he would tell them just how grateful he was. 

Legend found out that Wild had organized the whole thing that evening. 

He went on a tangent about how the others had reacted, what the dyeing process was like, and many other minor details. 

“So you waltzed in to a clothes dyeing shop, asked for your hair to be dyed, and that was that?” Asked Legend, puzzled. 

“Pretty much.” Confirmed Wild. “I am his best costumer, after all.”

Suddenly Legend paused. His eyes turning into an even more confused squint. 

“What’s wrong?” Asked Wild, noticing Legend’s change in demeanor. 

“How come you didn’t just get me to go and dye my hair blonde again instead of having everyone else dye their hair?”

Almost immediately every other conversation stopped. 

All eyes turned to face The Hero of The Wild with looks of shock, anger and complete bewilderment. 

Wild’s eyes went wide, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. 

.......

“Oh...”


End file.
